by Lynn Hagen
“Can you move over?” Riley asked as he turned onto the main road. Riley felt so out of his depth that he was drowning. Not only was Sterling excitable, he was one stunning man. If Riley had to describe his mate, it would be one word.
Pretty.
Riley swallowed hard as he caught a glimpse of Sterling’s face out of the corner of his eye. Gods, his mate was so fucking pretty.
“Am I in your way?”
“Yes,” Riley growled.
Sterling scooted over a sixteenth of an inch. “How about now?”
Riley groaned. This was going to be one long-ass ride. “I need you to move over by the door.”
“Why?”
“Because I need room to steer.” And he needed room away from his mate so his hard-on would go away. Having his mate sitting almost in his lap was playing havoc on his body, but toss in his mate’s scent and Riley was about to…what? Fuck the guy?
“Move over,” he grumbled.
Sterling audibly sighed as he unsnapped his seat belt.
Riley hit the brakes so fast that he had to sling his arm out to stop his mate from lurching forward into the windshield. “Why did you unsnap your seat belt? Don’t you know how dangerous it is to ride without one?”
“But you just told me to move over,” Sterling protested. “How can I move over if I’m strapped in?”
Riley ran a hand over his head and then pointed to the seat belt resting on the back of the truck seat. “Just put it on.”
Sterling eyed him warily as he scooted over and snapped his seat belt into place. “Is this better, Mr. Contradictor?”
“Mr. what—” Riley shook his head as he pulled the truck from the soft shoulder and started driving toward town again. He was not going to get into another debate with the man. Sterling was good for pulling Riley in and confusing the shit out of him.
Not today.
The skinny little guy could try and bait Riley all he wanted. Riley was not going to be pulled in. He just wasn’t. He refused. He needed all of his marbles intact. And that meant not letting Sterling—
“You’re passing the store,” Sterling said as he pointed toward the feedstore Riley was driving by.
“Shit,” he grunted as he hit the brakes, making the truck swerve slightly.
“Yeah, a seat belt is a good idea,” Sterling grumbled as he unsnapped his and slid out of the truck, slamming the door behind him.
“Where are you going?” Riley asked as he watched his mate walk around the front of his truck.
“I can walk the ten feet to the store. I’m not so sure you can drive it.” He turned, walking up onto the sidewalk and disappearing into the store.
Riley backed the truck up, and then parked it in the empty spot in front of the store. Pocketing his keys, Riley stepped into the feedstore and immediately growled. Sterling was laughing and talking with the man behind the counter like they were old friends. Sterling’s smile was so irresistibly devastating that Riley wanted to throw a blinder over the other man’s eyes so the stranger couldn’t witness the beautiful expression in them.
He marched over by the counter, pushing close to his mate without actually touching him, and stared indignantly at the man who had been flirting with Sterling and making his mate give him a smile that belonged solely to Riley.
The man tilted his head toward Riley, a friendly smile on his face. “How can I help you?”
By not flirting with my mate. “I have two orders to pick up.” And a cashier to knock the fuck out if the man didn’t stop ogling Sterling.
Sterling could tell that Riley was ticked off. Maybe he had a chance with the bear after all. From the way Riley Lakeland had acted toward Sterling lately, he had thought the man didn’t want him. He had dodged Sterling at every turn, ignored him most of the time, and snapped at him when he did give Sterling the time of day.
The guy was a sourpuss and a gloomy man, but Sterling had been hoping that Riley would come around in his way of thinking and start to like him.
Since the first time Sterling laid eyes on Riley, he had been enamored. And then when Riley turned into a bear and protected Sterling? That was hot as hell.
Well, not the part where Riley turned into a bear, because thinking a bear was hot was gross, but when Riley turned back into a human and was buck-ass naked…
“Is there anything you need?” the man behind the counter asked Sterling. Oh, this man was so openly flirting that Sterling wanted to laugh at the scowl on Riley’s face.
Yeah, for Riley to notice me.
“Nope, I’m with him.” He chucked a thumb over his shoulder at the towering man behind him. Sterling knew men noticed him. Hell, even females flirted with him. He just was never comfortable with it.
“I have two orders for the Lakelands,” Riley said as he stole quick glances Sterling’s way. Gods, he could so get lost in those stormy grey eyes. Riley was this powerful, commanding, sexier-than-air man.
Wait, was air sexy?
Whatever.
The man was the total package, and Sterling wanted it all for himself. If only Sterling could get the stick out of Riley’s ass, they just might have a chance with each other. But he had a feeling the damn stick was lodged between the man’s butt cheeks like rebar in old cement, and it would take a miracle to pull it free.
“Lakeland?” the man asked as he hurriedly began to tap on the keyboard of his computer. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you wait.”
Sterling looked back at Riley with the clerk’s odd reaction, but the bear just nodded his approval and began to look over the shelves in the feedstore. Sterling rolled his eyes and looked back at the clerk. The bear needed to lighten up.
“So,” the clerk said when he saw Riley walk away, “are you seeing anyone?”
Sterling turned toward Riley, seeing the scowl on the man’s face as he pretended to be real interested in a jar of jam. He waited for Riley to say something, anything…but Riley said nothing.
Turning back toward the clerk, Sterling shook his head, feeling a little dejected. He had wanted Riley to shout at the clerk that Sterling belonged to the grumpy bear. He had wanted Riley to stake some sort of claim. But the bear didn’t say a damn word.
“No, I’m not seeing anyone.” And damn if saying that didn’t sting a little.
Riley let out a low growl as he released the jar and turned toward Sterling, a warning cloud settling over his features. He grabbed a bag from the shelf and slammed it on the counter. “He’s seeing someone,” Riley bit out gruffly. His lips thinned until Sterling almost couldn’t see them any longer, and Riley had a strange tic jumping in his jaw.
“Oh, really?” Sterling asked, curious to know if Riley was finally staking his claim. “And who am I seeing?”
Both Sterling and the clerk glanced up at Riley for the answer.
Riley glanced away and gave a slight shrug. His handsome face had become brooding. “You just are.”
“What kind of an answer is that?” Sterling asked in exasperation. He was tired of pussyfooting around with the man. He wanted to know if Riley was interested or if he was wasting his time. The bear acted as if Sterling carried the black plague, running from him every time Sterling was one hundred yards from the guy. Yet he stood here looking as if he was ready to rip the clerk’s head off for flirting with Sterling.
The bear was confusing the shit out of him.
“A good enough one. Now can I get the items I came for or do I need to speak to the manager?” His voice, though quiet, held an ominous quality that promised he would do just that.
Sterling could feel his temper rising. It wasn’t often it reared its head, but Riley was acting like a total ass. Sterling snapped his fingers, pointed at Riley, and then toward the door. “Outside, Mr. Lakeland.” He saw the shocked disbelief written all over Riley’s face before Sterling headed toward the door, knowing somehow that Riley would follow.
Once out on the sidewalk, Sterling blew out a deep breath, because if he didn’t, he was going to stran
gle the man. Riley baffled him. He didn’t understand the man’s motives. Riley pushed Sterling away, yet didn’t want anyone else to come near Sterling. It made no sense to him at all. The bear was a walking, talking encyclopedia of contradictions, and it was giving Sterling a headache trying to keep up with the guy’s ever-changing moods.
“Did you just command me to come outside?” Riley asked as he walked out of the feedstore, his brows pulled down into a frown.
“Why are you acting like this, Riley?” Sterling asked heatedly, crossing his arms over his chest. The man better have a damn good explanation for the way he had acted inside. The clerk had done nothing but harmlessly flirt with Sterling.
Riley hadn’t staked a claim on Sterling, so he was free game. He didn’t want to be free game, but Riley hadn’t said otherwise. And damned if he was going to spend the rest of his life alone because Riley couldn’t get the stick out of his ass. If Riley didn’t want him, someone would.
“Because,” Riley muttered.
Sterling rotated one hand in front of him, telling Riley that there better be more in ways of an explanation than because.
“You’re not available to date anyone,” Riley snapped and then headed back into the store.
Sterling stood on the sidewalk for a moment gaping at the closed door.
Really?
That was his reason?
Sterling wasn’t sure if he should be happy that Riley didn’t want Sterling to date anyone or angry that Riley wouldn’t acknowledge that he wanted Sterling.
One thing was for sure. Riley confused the shit out of him.
Sterling headed back into the store, glancing around until he spotted Riley gathering some items from a shelf. He studied the large man’s backside, licking his lips as he wondered what it would be like to feel that hard, muscular, rigid body covering his.
Damn, now Sterling was standing in the middle of the feedstore with a boner. “I’ll wait for you in the truck,” he called out to Riley.
Riley only grunted.
Sterling had a feeling that he could tie Riley down and interrogate him until the cows came home and the man still wouldn’t acknowledge that he wanted Sterling.
Sterling groaned. The image of tying Riley down wasn’t helping his stiffy.
Chapter Two
Riley Lakeland tossed his head back as he rode his horse with such masculinity that all Sterling could do was stand there and drool at the man. He wanted to be on that horse with Riley. He wanted to be the horse and let Riley take the reins.
It was something he had been yearning to have for some weeks now. Sterling watched Riley from afar and snuck quick glances at the man anytime the opportunity arose.
As Riley neared him, Sterling held his breath, waiting, wanting, needing. He prayed Riley rode past him and gave him one of those award-winning smiles. He hoped that Riley dismounted his horse and pulled Sterling into his arms.
As Riley neared him, Sterling felt his groin tighten. He wanted, wanted desperately.
Riley stopped his horse, dismounted, and pulled Sterling in his powerful arms, laying a kiss on his lips so severe that Sterling feared his lips would split in two. The man was mastering him, taking the control into his own hands and showing Sterling just how much of a master he truly was.
Sterling lungs began to burn, but he refused to pull back from the kiss. He didn’t want to pull back. He feared that if he pulled back, Riley would take his sweet lips with him and ride away into the sunset.
“I’ve waited for someone like you my whole life.” Riley growled into Sterling’s mouth.
“I’m right here, big boy,” Sterling replied and then wrapped his arms around Riley’s neck, pulling the man closer, taking the kiss deeper.
The horse whinnied, and Sterling felt his cock thicken as Riley plunged his tongue deeper into Sterling’s mouth. He wanted Riley to lay him down on the soft grass and make love to him.
“Take me,” Sterling begged breathlessly. “Take me away with you.”
Riley ran his hands over Sterling’s head, grabbing a handful of hair and tugging Sterling’s head back. Sterling groaned as the pain exploded into pleasure. “Harder.”
Riley inserted his leg between Sterling’s, giving him something to rub his cock all over. Sterling hissed as his balls crushed into Riley’s long, sturdy leg. “Yes!” He threw his head back as Riley bit into his neck.
“God, yes!” His cock exploded in his pants as Sterling cried out Riley’s name.
“What in the hell is going on in there?”
Sterling blinked as he slowly opened his eyes, the image of Riley slowly fading away and reality making its unwelcomed presence known. A wave of disappointment washed over him as he realized he was in his own bed. Alone.
It had just been a dream.
He groaned when he felt, and smelled, the cum that was all over his stomach once more. It seemed every single night he was having that same dream, and he was no closer to getting Riley to notice him than he was to having his Dream Riley fuck him.
Sterling wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry at that thought. It was crazy to keep throwing himself at a man who obviously didn’t want him. But Sterling couldn’t seem to walk away. His body responded to the gruff bear anytime he was near the man. It was driving him crazy with want and making him wonder if he were truly insane.
“Nothing,” Sterling shouted toward the door, recognizing his brother Darcy’s voice. “Go away.”
“Then stop shouting Riley’s damn name.”
Sterling stilled.
Oh, god!
Had he shouted the big bear’s name? Who else had heard him? He didn’t even want to think about the possibility of Riley hearing him begging the man to fuck him in his sleep. It was embarrassing enough that Sterling threw himself at the man on a daily basis while awake.
Tossing back the covers, Sterling got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. Not only did he have to wash the spunk from his body, but he had to get ready for another day of being ignored while working next to Riley on the ranch. He wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.
One thing at a time this early in the morning, like getting cleaned up.
Sterling had contemplated cornering Riley and demanding answers, but from the way the big, quiet bear reacted to Sterling getting too close, he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
After showering and dressing, Sterling headed downstairs. He spotted Riley sitting at the table with his brothers and their mates. The man looked intense as he stared at his toast. Sterling knew that toast wasn’t interesting, so he must have heard Sterling coming and was doing his usual avoidance routine.
Sterling wanted to scream.
“I need you to man the ranch today, Riley,” Pa said as he grabbed a cup of coffee from the counter and sat down. “I have to go meet with Maverick this morning.”
“Is everything all right?” Bryce asked and then shoveled a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. Sterling had never seen men eat the way the Lakelands did. Each and every one of them ate like they were going into hibernation and had to consume as many calories as they could.
It was a wonder none of them were nine hundred pounds by now.
“Everything is fine,” Pa answered and then took a sip of his coffee.
Sterling took a seat next to Riley, the only chair available at the table, and grabbed the platter of pancakes, tossing a few onto his plate. He wasn’t really that hungry, but he had to do something to pass the time before he went to work. Pushing pancakes around on his plate with his fork was just as good as anything else.
“He just wants to discuss the newcomers in town. The one’s staying over at the Manchester place,” Pa said to Riley.
“Is it true that Kenway is a buffalo shifter?” Olsen, one of the Lakeland brothers, asked.
Sterling’s fork came to a stop midway to his mouth. A buffalo shifter? There was such a thing? He was beginning to see that there were more than bears and wolves that could change back and forth from man t
o beast. But then again, Abe had told him that he was a fey. Whatever that was. And Darcy had told him that Raven was a vampire.
Sterling’s eyes had been opened wide to the world around him, and he liked it. He liked the fact that not everyone was human. It made life a lot more interesting, and a bit scary. He didn’t want to meet one of the bad nonhumans. He already saw what the bears and wolves were capable of when the fight had broken out a few weeks ago on the ranch. Wolves that could turn into men had attacked the Lakeland ranch, trying to kill every bear in the house. Raven, Darcy’s mate, had popped right into the living room, pulling Luke away from the bad wolves. Then the fight was on. More wolves showed up, but Sterling was told they were good wolves.
It was all so confusing, but it had taught Sterling that there was good and bad, even in this bizarre world.
Pa leaned back in his chair, scratching the stubble that had started to form on his chin. “It’s true, son.”
Roman gave a low whistle. “I haven’t met them yet, but I hear they are pretty damn big.”
Sterling had seen one of them in the barn the night the fight had broken out, and they were pretty damn big. At least the one in the barn was.
He shoveled the pancakes into his mouth, listening to Pa tell everyone about the new shifters in town. It didn’t hurt to get the lowdown on everyone, especially if Sterling was planning on making Brac Village his home. But if Riley kept avoiding him like the plague, Sterling just might consider moving on.
But he really didn’t want to. Aside from having the hots for Riley, Sterling liked this small town. He liked the bear family the most. They were a bunch of great guys, and Sterling didn’t want to leave.
“I’m not real sure what the rest of the men are, but from what little bit Maverick has told me, they aren’t all buffalos,” Pa informed them.
“And he wouldn’t tell you any more about them?” Riley asked as he tossed a few more sausages onto his plate. Sterling sat there in awe at how much food Riley had already eaten. The man must have a bottomless pit. When Sterling had come into the kitchen, Riley was scarfing down a stack of pancakes and scrambled eggs. Now he was eating the sausage as if he were starving.